Mbalula: ANC MPs who vote with opposition parties will face the music

ANC national executive committee (NEC) member Fikile Mbalula has warned his fellow comrades not to commit political suicide by voting with the opposition on August 8, when the motion of no confidence against President Jacob Zuma is tabled.

The Police Minister was speaking at media briefing at the ANC’s national policy conference at Nasrec in Johannesburg on Sunday.

“The ANC NEC has deliberated extensively on this matter and we came to a conclusion that the President will not be removed from the executive. MP’s must know that we have a party system in South Africa, so they take their directive from the ANC,” said Mbalula.

Opposition parties have called on ANC MP’s to vote with their conscious if a secret ballot vote against Zuma is granted by the Speaker of Parliament Baleka Mbete.

CRACKING THE WHIP: ANC NEC member Fikile Mbalula says MPs have to toe the party line during no confidence motion.

However, Mbalula says ANC MPs owe their allegiance to the party and should follow the line given to them by Luthuli House.

“There will be no one voting with their conscious here. If anyone does so they will have to be disciplined by the ANC or be expelled. We are all bound by decisions of the ANC. Yes at times we may not like them but they are decisions of the party which we have to defend at all times,” said Mbalula.

He labelled those who are feared to be planning to side with opposition parties during the no confidence vote as political “suicide bombers” who would have signed their divorce papers with the ANC.

Insisting that ANC MPs do not “represent their jackets”, Mbalula said the party was not a beer hall where patrons have the right to choose brands, drinking pace and dance as they wish.

“We can’t be siding with the opposition, look at Mmusi Maimane, he is a hypocrite. He is fooling our people. What does he stand for? He failed to deal with Zille and took a partial action,” said Mbalula.

President Zuma will go to the ANC national elective conference in December as the party’s leader, he further said.

Mbalula has been tipped as one of the two ANC deputy secretaries in an expanded top leadership structure being mooted by delegates.

The former ANC Youth League president also added that the ANC was suffering because of corruption, sins of incumbency and factionalism.

He said that has resulted in the movement drifting away from the masses.

“There is factionalism fuelled by the battles for state resources. The danger of using state institutions to fight organisational battles and neglecting cadre policies,” said Mbalula.

African Times is a publication of Mohlakamotala Media PTY Ltd registration number 2015/044989/0. All rights are reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our terms and conditions, see here (link).